Today's News

INDEPENDENCE — The Virginia/Carolina Water Authority agreed last week not to take any action concerning fluoride until the new recommended levels could be decided.
A handout from Jerry Brooks of the People for a Cleaner Environment stated that the nation’s top health official, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, had announced plans to lower the agency’s maximum recommended fluoride level from 1.2 milligrams per liter of water to 0.7.

INDEPENDENCE — A Grayson County man who was making his first appearance last Monday in Grayson General District Court now faces another charge after he was allegedly involved in a fist fight with another prisoner.
Sheriff Richard Vaughan said Rodney Edward Black, was in a holding cell with other prisoners when he allegedly got into a fight with another prisoner. Vaughan did not identify the other prisoner, who was transported to Twin County Regional Hospital in Galax by the Independence Volunteer Rescue Squad and received stitches for a head wound.

HILLSVILLE — Securing a $3.8 million grant from the Virginia Tobacco Commission for the planned business and commerce park at Interstate 77 Exit 19 means there’s a lot of state representatives who are “wild about Wildwood,” Carroll officials indicated in reacting to the news at a Jan. 13 meeting.

HILLSVILLE — In signing the final settlement with bankrupt AmerLink, some Carroll County officials wanted to celebrate with confetti, but none sounded more excited than the county attorney.
AmerLink, in an economic development deal with Carroll, was supposed to create 200 jobs, but went down in bankruptcy after building a model home sales center and half a sawmill in the county.

Better severe weather preparedness is on the radar for the Twin Counties, as Carroll, Grayson and Galax work to become "Storm Ready" communities.
The three localities met with Phil Hysell, the National Weather Service's warning coordinating meteorologist from Blacksburg, on Dec. 28 to hear a presentation about the benefits of being Storm Ready.

Editor’s Note: This information is taken from open court records and is a matter of public record. The listings are complete. The newspaper, as a matter of fairness, will not honor requests to omit any listing.
For information on this column or questions, call 236-5178, ext. 213.

Land Transfers

These land transfers were recorded Nov. 5-22 in the office of Carolyn H. Honeycutt, clerk of the Carroll County Circuit Court, Hillsville:

Jeremiah Levi Foster will turn one year old Jan. 12. He is the son of P.J. Foster and Jessica Baldwin of Fries.

His grandparents are Dewey Baldwin and Sheron Hash of Fries, Tina Foster of Elkton, Md., and Peter Foster Sr. of Dunn, N.C. His great-grandmothers are Eileen Carr of Elkton, Md., and Addie Baldwin of Galax, formerly of Elk Creek. Foster and his family will celebrate with a Winnie the Pooh party at their home.